SSC and LTU increase cooperation

By Lennart Håkansson, North Sweden Business February 29, 2024
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Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology and Charlotta Sund, CEO at SSC. Photo: Anna-Karin Landin

LULEÅ The state-owned company Swedish Space Corporation, SSC, and Luleå University of Technology, LTU, have signed a strategic agreement that involves increased cooperation.

The deeper cooperation concerns both the activities at the space base in Esrange outside Kiruna and LTU’s education and research in the space field. They will also collaborate in AI, robotics, materials science and innovation.

Together, the parties will develop knowledge and ensure competence and quality. They will also find new innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable growth and strengthened competitiveness, both regionally, nationally and globally.

“I am so glad to announce this collaboration today. There is virtually no place in the world where a research project or a satellite can be developed and then transported 45 minutes to get launched into space. This is possible in the Norrbotten region thanks to regional collaboration between industry, academia and business. We are now taking the next step in utilizing these unique opportunities in order to strengthen Kiruna, Luleå and the entire Norrbotten region as a hub for innovation, sustainable development and space activities,” says Charlotta Sund, CEO at SSC.

At Luleå University of Technology there is Sweden’s only civil engineering program in space technology and several master’s programs in space. The increased cooperation strengthens Norrbotten as an innovative hub for European space activities.

Space is an important industry in the Norrbotten region. In addition to SSC, Esrange and Luleå University of Technology, there is the Institute for Space Physics (IRF), Rymdgymnasiet, the international research facility EISCAT, and several private European space companies.